British immigration police are cracking down on a suspected criminal network believed to be behind dozens of fake asylum claims from straight Bangladeshi people pretending to be gay so they can claim that returning home to Bangladesh would put their lives at risk.
It’s a scam that has “devastating consequences for genuine LGBTQI+ asylum seekers”, said Shahanur Islam, the founder/president of the human rights advocacy group JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF). (See his statement below.)
The Oct. 6 arrests were reported by the BBC:
Immigration enforcement [in London] have made arrests in connection with a suspected criminal network believed to be behind dozens of fake asylum claims from people pretending to be gay.
Those targeted by Home Office immigration enforcement officers on [Tuesday, Oct. 6] are accused of charging migrants up to 4,500 for fabricated evidence, including staged photographs and fake documents.
They are thought to have aided dozens of asylum claims from Bangladeshi men, claiming they would be in fear for their lives if they returned home.
Two people were arrested at addresses in London on Tuesday on suspicion of fraud and immigration offences, with Home Office officers also seizing phones, jewellery and thousands of pounds in cash.
A third person was arrested on suspicion of...
Dozens claimed returning to homophobic Bangladesh would put their lives at risk. British immigration police are cracking down on a suspected criminal network believed to be behind dozens of fake as...